Me Again
by boxfish
Summary: In the middle of the Kira investigation, L gets an urgent call from Watari. Ryuzaki's old 'friend' has been thrown into the fray, complicating matters for both L and Light. Watch episode 19 of the anime beforehand, please! LxLight, sort of.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Beyond Birthday's not dead. And he's escaped prison. He seems to only have one motive- to get to L. Will Light be able to protect his friend? Run L, run! (If he can. I've seen him run once, and it was not pretty. :D) Watch episode 19 of the anime beforehand, please!**

**A/N: Takes place during episode 19, in which Matsuda gets himself into trouble at Yotsuba's. Oh, and pretend Aizawa didn't leave the investigation team and that Light doesn't have any memories of being Kira. :]**

**Does anyone know what you call the back of an ambulance? I googled it, and got no answer, so I just referred to it as 'the box.' xD**

**Disclaimer: ****I do NOT own Death Note, or any of it's characters. I also don't own McDonalds. Or a cat. I need a cat.**

* * *

**Me Again**

**Chapter One- Hide And Seek**

L stared at the blank screen monitor, starting slightly when Watari's signature _W_ came up. He paused his chewing on his thumb to snap down a button.

"Watari."

"Ryuzaki, I have just received word that Beyond has escaped prison." Watari stumbled over the words.

_Excellent_, Ryuzaki thought bitterly, _Exactly what I need. Another distraction from the Kira case_.

"Ryuzaki... There's something else," Watari continued, "Before he escaped, Beyond Birthday drew a picture."

_A picture?_ L asked, "What did he draw?"

Watari sighed. "He drew... You, Ryuzaki. You. The message, I believe, is precisely clear. He knows what your appearance looks like, and he is coming for you. In fact, he may very well be in Japan at the moment."

L blinked. "I... See. So tell me, did I look good in the picture?"

"I've managed to get a team to infiltrate the prison and erase all evidence of the drawing, but before we did so, Mike took a photo. I have the original copy, but I'm sending a duplicate to you right now." Watari replied, ignoring L's question.

Almost immediately, the picture of the picture popped up on the detective's screen. Ryuzaki peered at the sketch. There, on the far wall, was the splitting image of himself. Every last detail, right down to the way his hair fell, his hunched posture, his tense shoulders- everything was perfect. Only after this did L realize that the picture had been drawn in what had to be blood.

Apparently, Beyond was quite the artist.

"Ryuzaki," Watari called, after letting the other study the impression for a few seconds, "Beyond Birthday may be... The closest to your equal, besides Kira."

L shifted his gaze away from the engraving.

He remembered... Night black hair. Soft eyes. Nimble fingers. A sharp mind. _Naomi Misora. _She was gone now.

"Ryuzaki... you must be careful." Watari's tone was grim.

"Yes... I understand," L muttered, and he cut the connection.

* * *

"Matsuda, you must die before being killed." L said, then waited for the cop to grasp the information. "Listen to me very, very carefully. You're drunk. Wasted. Make sure it's believable. There's a balcony in the room the Yotsuba members are in, no? I want you to climb onto the ledge. First with your feet, then your hands. Make sure you have everyone's attention, and slip off the ledge."

There was stunned silence. "B...But, Ryuzaki, that's crazy! I... I'll die for sure!" Matsuda stammered.

"I _know._ That's the _point._ Soichiro will prop up a mattress on the balcony on the floor below to catch you. Like a... Half- funnel. Then, Weddy will throw out a decoy. Aiber, the conman, will be your impersonator on the ground, pretending to be dead. I'll get him a black wig, for your sake. Aizawa can scream, do a Misa impersonation, and draw attention to the supposedly dead 'Matsuda' on the ground. Light, you will drive the ambulance, and get Aiber inside. After Aiber is secured, continue around to _McDonalds_, which is a few blocks away from the Yotsuba building, and pick up Weddy, Soichiro, Matsuda, and Aizawa, where they'll be waiting. Make sure to conceal your face when you get out, Matsuda." L finished with a triumphant look in his eyes. The plan was perfect. Completely unflawed. Except-

"Wait a minute, how am I supposed to drive the ambulance _and_ carry Aiber inside?" an indignant voice interrupted L's thoughts. Ah, Light. Why was the boy always trying to puncture holes in L's plans?

Ryuzaki shrugged. "I don't know. Figure it out yourself, genius boy."

"And what will _you_ be doing to help Matsuda, Ryuzaki?" Light glowered at the detective.

Oho! So now the boy was trying to corner L into going out into public and risking his identity? "I came up with the plan, Light- Kun. That gives me complete immunity," he replied calmly.

"I can't do both jobs on my own! It'll look suspicious. Who drives the ambulance _and_ carries the dead guy away? No one. They usually send _two_ people!" Light protested.

The detective simply turned away. He wasn't quite sure how to feel. What was Light up to? There had to be some reason as to why Yagami was so anxious to get L out of the Task Force Headquarters. Probably because Light was Kira, and he wanted the detective dead, but everytime Ryuzaki looked at the boy, he could only see an earnest determination to catch the murderer. It was like a different person, leaving L's head spinning. The previous Light he hadn't liked so much- he was rude, snobby, and arrogant, underneath all of that expensive clothing- though a genius, nonetheless. This Light, on the other hand... Everything was switched around. It was another version of Light- the nice genius version kind- and there was something about the boy's eyes, something wi-

"Ryuzaki, it's only for a little while, I promise! No one will see you, I swear!" Light edged on. Why? Why was he doing this?

"I do not want to go, Light- Kun," L stated in return.

"_Please_ - there's no one else to take your place! We have to go rescue Matsuda!" Light pleaded. What was he playing at?

"Matsuda's an idiot," L retorted, focusing his all his entirety on a muffin.

"_I know_. But we have to rescue him! Who knows what Yotsuba's doing to him right now? You and I both know that he won't hold out much longer," Light replied.

Yes, L _did_ know that Matsuda was going to lose it, soon. However, Beyond Birthday was almost certainly out there somewhere, and if anything, this would be the perfect moment to attack the detective. In fact, Ryuzaki wouldn't be surprised if Beyond knew where he was at the moment. The man's stalking capabilities were quite astounding.

On the other hand, Matsuda needed his help. And as stupid as Matsuda was, L could not help but grow a little fond of the man. Who couldn't? Matsuda was just so helplessly clueless, it was almost cute.

L sighed inwardly. His mind had already been made up, even before Light had asked.

"Alright, Light- Kun. Though if I die in the process, Watari will be under orders to sue you," he sighed.

* * *

Ryuzaki and Light hefted Aiber up onto the stretcher, covered him with a thin sheet, then proceeded to roll the conman into the ambulance. A crowd was quickly forming around them, and L did his best to hide his face behind a curtain of ebony bangs. Aizawa had done his job well.

Light got into the front seat of the ambulance and pushed down on the pedals, propelling the Task Force away from the scene.

Light made sure to drive a good distance away from the Yotsuba building before he flicked off the wailing alarm and flashing lights, and spun the vehicle around, heading towards _McDonalds._

Waiting in the parking lot were Weddy, Soichiro, Aizawa, and Matsuda, who had his hood pulled over his head. They all looked up when Ryuzaki flung open the back door of the ambulance and hissed, "Get in!"

Soichiro hurried into the front portion of the emergency vehicle while the others filed into the back. The doors all closed with _thuds_, and the hospital wagon drove off.

Matsuda was the first to break the tense silence. "Look, guys, I'm sorry that... That I... I messed up. I won't do it again, I swear!"

"It's fine, Matsuda," Aizawa answered kindly, "You've manage to retrieve important information regarding the Kira case, and we couldn't have figured it out without you."

"Yeah... Now that you mention it... Yeah! Let's catch Kira!" Matsuda's eyes lit up once again. "Right, Ryuzaki?"

L didn't answer. His was standing, staring through the small window attached to the door of the ambulance, eyes trained on a white truck trailing behind them. The windows were slightly tinted, but not enough that he couldn't make out certain features of the driver. Diamond black hair... Thin, bony hands... A white shirt... And was that... A small smear of... Strawberry jam?

"Hey, Ryuzaki." Matsuda had come up beside the detective, and peered at the driver curiously. "Ya know... He sorta looks like you!" he exclaimed, after studying the other.

Beyond Birthday.

L had been found.

Eyes wide, Ryuzaki stumbled over to the other side of the box, and pounded on the mesh window separating him from the front part of the ambulance. "Light! _Drive faster_!" he yelled, hammering all the while.

Soichiro and Light glanced back in alarm and fear, but Light did as asked without question, and slammed his foot down on the accelerator, launching them forward.

"_Put the siren on!_" Ryuzaki yelled, then spun his head around, spikes flying all over the place, eyes landing on their pursuer. Beyond was calmly keeping pace with them, shifting swiftly into the lane beside the ambulance. L whipped out his phone. _Watari. He needed to call Watari._

Just then, Beyond crudely jerked his steering wheel to the right, effectively slamming his method of transportation into the ambulance, causing the world to shake and for Ryuzaki's phone to slip out of his hands, and meet its untimely fate under one of Aider's boots.

L glared.

Aiber gave an apologetic smile.

"Does anyone have their phone here?" he snapped. Shaking heads everywhere. Perfect. Just _amazing._

He kicked at the window that revealed the driver's compartment. "Light! Chief Yagami! Do you have a-" L's features twisted in disgust, "-communication device handy?"

Soichiro jammed his hand into his jacket pocket, procuring mobile phone. "Yes!" his voice was muffled. "Who do you want me to call?"

"Watar-" he grunted as the ambulance was attacked from the side again and everyone lost their footing, meaning he had Aizawa land on top of him.

"Who?" _God DAMN IT_!

Ryuzaki shoved Aizawa off his lap as nicely as he could. "WATARI!" he screeched.

Ryuzaki waited as Soichiro dialed, gritting his teeth in frustration. Beyond was highly unstable. There was no telling what he's do if he got his hands on L and the investigation team. And... it was unfortunate that L had come to care for the Task Force members, as annoying and tempermental as they were. It would cloud his judgement.

"R-Ryuzaki! Who is this guy?" Matsuda yelped, steadying himself by placing a hand on Ryuzaki's shoulder.

"It's a... Long story," he replied curtly. This was clearly not the time.

The ambulance lurched precariously. Weddy screamed.

"Ryuzaki!" Soichiro called from the front seat, "It's Watari! What do you want me to tell him?"

Ryuzaki gently placed his hands on the mesh window. "Tell him that I-" He was cut off as the great white truck slammed home into the side of their vehicle, the ambulance finally tipping over, rolling a good distance away from its starting point, and finally screeched to halt.

No one inside the emergency vehicle was left conscious.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: ****I don't own Death Note. -_- **

* * *

**Me again**

**Chapter Two- 13 13**

* * *

When L opened his eyes, everything was dark. He sprang up without any warning, and was rewarded with several yelps and exclamations of surprise.

"Ryuzaki!" Light's tone was uneven.

"We thought you were dead!" Matsuda's relieved voice floated out of nowhere.

"D-don't be ridiculous," Light scoffed, almost nervously. "He had a pulse. He couldn't have been dead."

"...I can't see anything," L stated blandly.

"Just let your eyes adjust," Light soothed. L waited patiently as his surroundings were slowly revealed to him. They were in a moderate- sized room- nothing special. The room was particularly lacking in the furniture department, as it had no actual furniture, but other than that, L thought it was quite nice. Aizawa, Soichiro, and the others were studying his reaction- except for Matsuda, who was hunched over in a little ball. No one seemed to be seriously injured, which could only be due to a grand stroke of luck.

"Well?" Soichiro's gruff voice interrupted his thoughts. "Think we can get out of here?"

L took in the room once again. No windows, one door, nothing exactly of use in the room, and seven people. Ryuzaki casually sauntered over to the door and jiggled the knob, with everyone latched onto his every move. The door was locked of course, and it was a good door, one that was not likely to give under massive amounts of pressure, and one that would be extremely difficult to lock- pick. He turned back to his companions, thinking. Were there video cameras in the room? Wire taps? Ryuzaki examined the walls, the floor, the pleasant peach color that adorned the carpet. No, there didn't appear to be any recording device hooked up. But one could never know.

One look at Light's face confirmed his suspicions. The other had already come to the conclusion that there was no way out of this room, at least not at this time.

"Who was that, L?" Light sounded almost... Concerned? Ryuzaki didn't know.

"That guy who was chasing us, you know him," Light continued, "Who is he?"

"Oh, Ryuzaki, do you think that guy who looked like you is the same guy who trapped us here?" Matsuda cried, alarmed.

Soichiro shot him an incredulous look. "Don't be absurd, Matsuda," he snapped, looking very haggard.

Matsuda however, was not satisfied. "Well, was he?"

Light looked over to L. The detective was so obviously lost in his thoughts, tucked in his usual curled- up position with a thumb resting at his lips, eyes wide open and unblinking. Light supposed that if he were to take L's face and cover up the bottom portion, thus leaving the top half bare, the detective would resemble that of one who had a permanently surprised expression plastered onto their face; his eyes were so wide.

Light had been the first to regain consciousness after the crash, and upon opening his eyes, got his first good look at L when he was sleeping. Or something close enough to sleeping, anyway.

L had been sprawled out somewhat normally on his back, hands tossed out to the side, leaving his torso vulnerable. And Light couldn't help but think that if L had a say in this, he would much rather be huddled in his more comfortable position. But even, now, in his as- normal- as- could- be condition, L looked more fragile than ever.

Though Ryuzaki gorged on candy like there was no tomorrow, this arms were sticks and his stomach flat. His structure was actually quite small, like he was still in his teens, though Light guessed L would probably be about his height- if not taller- should he ever stand up straight. His pale skin only made the dark circles under his eyes more pronounced, which matched his inky black hair. The Kira case had really taken its toll on him.

But Light began to wonder if L had always been this way, or if he had ever been normal. Could it be that Ryuzaki had just happened to be born with his quirky habits? Or did something else happen to make the detective that way?

To most people, except for possibly Watari, Ryuzaki was an exceptionally hard person to read- most of the time; his expression was a blank as a silver plate. In fact, Light suspected that the only person that could truly read the detective was Watari. But with practice, and lots and lots of staring, Light had found a way around the impassive façade that was L.

It was the details. When he was confused, Ryuzaki would blink twice, and very slowly. When Light had managed to anger L that one time, he could literally see his death in the black, depthless orbs known as L's eyes. When Ryuzaki was sad, or put- out, his gaze would lower and his toes would curl, as if attempting to hide themselves. When the detective was feeling particularly mischievous, his eyes would glint dangerously and a small half smile would appear on his lips, suspiciously reminding Light of a child who knew if he did something wrong, he wouldn't be reprimanded for it.

Light remembered seeing that distinct expression on the detective's face- right before a frog was unceremoniously shoved down his pants.

"Light- kun?" That voice was so small and sweet and innocent, and- "You've been staring at me for the last three- and- a- half minutes. Is something the matter?"

"No," he replied, a little too hastily, "I'm fine. Just thinking."

"Thinking about what?" L asked innocently, blinking at him.

"Oh... Frogs," he muttered, scratching at the back of his head.

"Hunh," L murmured tilting his head slightly to the side. Suddenly, his eyes twinkled knowingly, and a triumphant smirk spread across his face like butter. "You're thinking about that time when I-"

"No, I wasn't!" Light yelped, flustered, gesturing oh- so- subtly towards his father, who was observing the two with apt interest. Chief Yagami would not be very pleased if he learned that a toad had somehow made its way down his pants due to the legendary L's doing.

L's eyes laughed at him, unable to hide their mirth, as Chief Yagami frowned at the two of them disapprovingly. Light was just about to snap back a possible rude remark to L when the door to their prison opened, and several plates of cake were shoved in, before the door closed just as quickly.

L mentally slapped himself in the face- how could he have missed such a good opportunity?

"Here, Ryuzaki," Light said, handing the detective a slice of shortcake with a strawberry placed delicately on top. He eyed the food warily, not trusting it, but he was hungry. Aiber had already dug into his own cake. So far, nothing bad was happening to him.

L shoved his portion of the dessert into his mouth, and was done in record time, wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve before gazing at Light's strawberry longingly.

Light looked up at L, to find the detective looking at him with big, onyx eyes. (Not that they weren't already big.) Rolling his eyes, Light stripped his shortcake of its strawberry, and held it out to L, who's face lit up joyfully.

"Thank you, Light-Kun~" he sang cheerfully, reaching out and plucked the fruit out of Light's hand with nimble fingers.

"You're welcome," he muttered, watching as L disregarded his fork, and nibbled happily on the berry. Ryuzaki's fingers had been cold to the touch, but it had still felt surprisingly pleasant to feel the detective's digits, as the ice in his fingers contrasted nicely with his own burning ones.

Silence reigned the room for a few moments before Matsuda let out a yawn that coursed throughout the room, and everyone settled down to sleep. L curled up in a corner, claiming that that spot was his, while Light flopped down relatively close to Ryuzaki, clearly uncomfortable.

L kept his eyes open long after the others were asleep, once again studying the room that they were in, and found his gaze constantly landing on Light. And for some reason, he just couldn't look away.

_I'm watching over him_ L told himself. _Just in case something happens._ And as he watched, Light began to gradually warm up to him, snuggling closer and closer by the minute.

L felt... Trapped. Should he scoot away? Was Light aware of what he was doing? No, probably not. The detective flinched slightly when Light's head came to a rest on L's shoulder. Gah~ his head was so warm! It made L wonder how fast an ice cube would melt if he placed one on Light's forehead. Or did the boy just have a fever?

As he mused over this, Light's head abruptly slipped off Ryuzaki's shoulder, and in an attempt to refrain him from meeting the floor face- first, L slipped an arm around the youth, wincing slightly as Light stirred in his sleep.

_Get your hands off of him!_ His conscience screamed in his ear. _He's Kira! He's a murderer! What would Mr. Yagami say if he found you like this?_

_No, he's not Kira, not right now!_ Something inside him protested, _And screw Chief Yagami- I'm_ **_L._**

Besides, it wasn't like he really minded. Light made up for his lack of warmth. But if Light were to wake up... That would be messy.

Any further thoughts began to fade away, as he felt his eyelids getting heavy. He didn't realize how tired he was until now...

* * *

L awoke before the others, thankfully, or he'd be having a heck of a time explaining why he was cuddling Light.

Ryuzaki shuffled away from Light as quickly and quietly as possible, as to not disturb the boy, and waited for everyone else to wake up. He wished there was a window, or a crack in the wall, or _something_ to give him a hint about their bearings.

He snapped back to attention when Light began to stir again. Biting on his thumb, L observed with child- like curiosity, as Light's eyelids slowly fluttered, and his coffee colored orbs were slowly revealed.

Light shifted awkwardly and stretched, trying to work out the kinks in his back from sleeping on the floor, though, somehow, his cocoa shaded hair, though a little mussed, remained perfect and intact.

"Good morning, Light- Kun," L hummed brightly.

Light blinked, looking lost. "R'uzakiiii?" L wanted to laugh; the boy appeared almost drunk when tired.

The other members of the Task Force were waking up as well, slowly regaining their surroundings, straightening their suit, adjusting their tie. As if it mattered.

And then the door to their prison swung open without any warning, and everybody froze.

L was the first one to recover, hurdling himself towards the door, and grasping the knob, prepared to kick whosever ass it was on the other side. Unless it was Watari's, of course.

But to his utmost shock and annoyance, no one was there.

"L." The voice came from all around him. Were there speakers of some sort hidden behind the walls? "I want you to exit the room. Go down the hall, and turn left. There will be an elevator waiting for you. I'll give you further instructions there." Beyond didn't even try to disguise his voice, nor did he try to hide the glee behind it.

There was a slight pause. "Now!" the synthetic voice growled, impatiently. _Aha,_ Ryuzaki thought smugly, _so there **were**_ cameras transmitting back their actions to wherever BB was.

The Task Force members all shuffled forward, nearing the door.

"No!" Beyond snapped, "I only want L to go. _Only L,_" he seethed, most likely through his teeth.

L looked up at the ceiling. "What if I do not want to go, Backup?"

"_I'll kill them all! I'llkillthemI'llkillthemI'llkillthem_-" Beyond broke off in a fit of giggles.

_So. Recording devices **and** wire taps._

Light looked at L with vast eyes. "Ryuzaki-"

"Do not worry, Light- Kun. I will be going. After all, isn't that the noble thing to do?" L said flatly.

Light flushed. "I- I wasn't going to say _that._ You don't have to go, you know."

L stared at the other for a moment. "No matter. Beyond will kill us all if I do not." And he stepped out of the room.

"Close the door behind you," Beyond sang joyfully.

Ryuzaki closed the door, and then strolled down the hallway, turning left at the end of it.

He kept a sharp eye out for anything that could be of use, but the hallways were completely bare. BB had carefully thought this out.

He guessed that they were in some sort of hotel, or apartment, based on the many doors that lined the corridor. To his dismay, all of them were locked. Still, he took his time, creating a mental map in his mind.

All too soon, he was at the end of the line, standing before the elevator. L stepped over the threshold, and before he could change his mind, the elevator doors closed on him, and he started moving up. He hadn't even had to press a button.

According to the little lights on the elevator wall, he had been on the ninth floor. He jabbed at the buttons, pressing every single one of them, but nothing happened.

Not to his surprise, the elevator stopped at floor 13. Ryuzaki stepped out and immediately headed to room 1313. Beyond was so predictable this way. Plus, BB wasn't saying anything to stop him, so he supposed he was going the right way.

L approached the room and tried the doorknob. It was open.

And there stood Beyond Birthday, grinning ecstatically.

"Hello, L," he said softly.

* * *

**A/N: ** .net/s/8094543/1/bFrog_b_Is_bJust_b_ba_b_bFour_b_bLetter_b_Word -Where the frog gets shoved down Light's pants. Read if you have nothing else to do ^.^


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**** D-D-D-DOTAAAAAAAA**

**Disclamier: ****I DO NOT OWN DEATH NOTE!, NOR IT'S CHARACTERS!**

* * *

**Me Again**

**Chapter 3- And Then There Was Three**

Beyond," L greeted pleasantly, his obsidian eyes skating over BB like he wasn't there.

"Won't you have a seat?" BB gestured to a lone chair that sat in the middle of the room. L ignored this and remained where he was. Undaunted, Beyond paced over to where L was standing, L not flinching in the least. Birthday reached behind the detective, shutting the door firmly and audibly locking it, before tucking the key safely in his pocket.

Ryuzaki hadn't moved an inch, observing the scene in front of him, in an almost bored and uninterested manner.

There were computer monitors lined up neatly against the length of the room by size, displaying the Task Force members in a state of pure agitation, and from the set of speakers that accompanied the monitors, L listened in on their conversation.

"We have to go and save Ryuzaki!" Matsuda declared, uselessly waving his arms about.

_He shouldn't do that. His energy level will decrease by 10 percent._

"Slow down, Matsuda! We've no idea what we're dealing with here!" Soichiro scolded, a torn frown on his face.

_Oh, Soichiro... You're dealing with a serial killer who has completely lost his mind and has a fetish for strawberry jam._

"For once, I agree with Matsuda. We can't just sit here and do nothing!" Light pointed out, "Dad, I know _you'd_ want to go looking if it was _me_. Ryuzaki's my friend, and I'd be mocking our friendship if I didn't do anything. Besides, I can protect myself- you saw me take on L!"

"It's interesting, no? Especially that boy's little... Spruik." A voice came from behind the detective. "I think it's nice to have people fight for you. Would you fight for me, L?" Beyond asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.

Ryuzaki answered, his tone flat, "Yes."

BB beamed. "I think we'll be _great_ friends, L!" he said, embracing the older man before pulling back, expression dead serious. "I want to be the only one, L. Your only friend. You won't need anyone else, because you'll have me." He eyed Light's digital form on the monitor. "Is he also your friend?"

"No, he means nothing to me. I don't care for him in the least," L replied tersely.

Beyond looked confused. "But he called you his _friend_."

L shrugged. "He says what he wants to. It doesn't mean a thing."

B smiled wickedly. "But_ I saw you._"

L feigned ignorance. "Saw what?"

"Don't think I didn't _see_," Beyond spat. "Don't think I didn't _s__ee_ you cuddling up to Yagami last night." He leaned in close. "Do you like _little boys,_ L?"

Three of the world famous detectives scowled, pushing B away. "Light- Kun is _nineteen_. He is most certainly not a _little boy_."

"I want to meet him," Beyond stated, flicking his hand. "His father, too. What would they think if _the great L Lawliet_ was molesting Light Yagami, son of Cheif Yagamj?"

L's face remained blank, even at the casual mention of his name. "They would think nothing less of me. Yagami- Kun would know that my actions were in good grace."

Grinning maniacally, Beyond slid into a chair facing the screen, and snapped down a button, and spoke into a microphone that allowed him to communicate with his prisoners. "I need Light and Soichiro Yagami in room 1313 on floor 13, please. Preferably now." He released his hold on the button, and leaned back in his chair with a satisfied sigh.

"You know L-Kun, before, at Wammy's, I hated you." Beyond started conversationally.

"Don't call me that." L's face twisted at the nickname.

"I hated you," BB repeated, growing louder, "I hated you because after A died, _I_ was supposed to be your successor. _I_ was supposed to be L. But instead- instead you picked three more to compete with me! I hated you. Why didn't you want me to become L? I was angry with you for a looong time. But now, I forgive you, even though I still hate you sometimes."

"I hate you, too." Ryuzaki replied blandly.

"But why?" Beyond cried, distressed, "What reason do you have for hating me? What did I do? I've only aimed to please you, L, everything I've done, all the people I killed, it was all for _you!"_

L raised his head, his shaggy mess of a hair, and looked straight into the other man's eyes. B was a mirror image of L, save for his eyes. They were blood red, unlike L's own charcoal ones. "I don't hate you because of _you,_ Beyond. I hate you, B, because you are me."

* * *

Light and Soichiro took their time making their way into the elevator and up to room 1313.

L watched them go with lazy, seemingly indifferent, eyes. He did not know the specifics of what Beyond had planned for them, but he could very well guess. And as it turned out to be; he was a _very_ good guesser, unfortunately.

After what seemed like forever, the door swung open wide, and the pair stepped inside, vigilant and alert.

Both of them gaped, not expecting to see two L's in the room.

Beyond smiled then, though it was nothing like L's small, rare, innocent one. It was quite the opposite, in fact, and it gave Light chills to see such an expression cross what appeared to be Ryuzaki's face.

"Sit down, sit down," he crooned, ushering Light to a nearby chair.

"Get your hands _off my son!"_ The chief snarled, and Light and L both groaned inwardly. It would not be particularly wise to provoke their captor.

Smirking, BB shoved Light into the chair in response, whipped a gun out of nowhere, and calmly pointed it at Light's ear, so that the barrel of the gun was just barely brushing the boy's earlobe. "I said, 'sit down'," he stated a matter of factly, and Soichiro was forced to comply, lest he wanted to get his son's head blown off.

Light however, was frozen to his chair, not daring to even breathe. This man horrified him, and it was disturbing to him to have an insane version of his friend holding a gun to his head.

"L," Beyond started, "Tie them up. Both of them. With this rope." He then stepped forward, gun still pointing directly a Light's head, never taking his eyes off of him, and offered small strips of rope to L.

Light watched helplessly as Ryuzaki slouched forward, accepting the rope, and proceeded to tie all four of Light's limbs to the chair.

For a moment, L glanced up and locked eyes with the caramel haired boy, sending a silent, pleading message. _Don't argue with him._

Unbeknownst to B, Light let loose a minuscule nod, signaling his agreement, to which L simply nodded in return, and finished tying up his knots, leaving them relatively loose, until Beyond came around, took one look at the bounds, and snapped, "Tighter!"

L reluctantly made the knots notably tighter, making sure Light would be able to slip out with minimal difficulty.

_For now_, he thought, _Kira and L will have to cooperate together._

Sadly, Soichiro failed to understand the urgent '_Don't mess with that psychotic badass over there,'_ and growled, "I have no idea what you plan to do, imposter, but you are certainly _not_ going to get away with this!"

Light winced- for two reasons. One, his dad sounded extremely corny, and two, talking back would do nothing but aggravate the other.

But B only smiled dangerously.

L stepped back, having done his job, and patiently watched as B prodded and poked at his work, tightening the knots he'd made.

Satisfied, he straightened up, though still in L's preferred, hunched -over posture, and announced, to no one's surprise, and everyone's dread, "I want to kill someone."

L stared into nothing, thoughts flying in a blur. Soichiro and Light were tied down to the chairs, leaving L standing, most conveniently. Though to his dismay, B was heavier, more muscled, and he had a gun, along with God-knows-what.

And he had two hostages.

Meaning Ryuzaki was at a disadvantage.

He was almost sure, though, that he would be able to outsmart B, just like the other times.

Beyond turned to L. "If you were to choose someone in this room to die, who would it be?"

Ryuzaki's answer was immediate. "You."

B doubled over with laughter, hooting and jeering at particularly no one, clutching his stomach with one hand, though his other still held the gun, and it was trained steadily on Light.

Chief Yagami looked duly alarmed, glancing back and forth between the detective and the look- alike.

After an eternity, BB finally calmed down, his outbreak coming to a slow rest. "Oh, I think you know what I mean, L- Chan," he snickered.

Light's mind raced at the nickname bestowed upon his friend. He glanced at Ryuzaki, noting the neutral expression etched on his face. If L minded his nickname, he hid it well. Could it possibly be that B and L were-?

No, it was impossible, he knew L, and L would never let himself become associated with someone of that nature.

"L-Chaaaaaaan!" B drawled, drawing out the 'Chan', "Who do you choose, hmmmmmmmmnnnm? The Chief or his son? Pick who you'd like to die. I'll give the three of you one minute to decide. Ready, set, go!"

Soichiro strained against his bonds. "L- Save Light, he has so much more to live fo-"

Light cut in. "But what about you, dad? What about mom and Sayu? You can't just leave them! That's not fair to any-"

"You'll have to take care of them in my place, Light. It's the only w-"

"Screw you, dad!" Light thrashed around in his chair. "Screw you!"

"Light-"

"NO! Ryuzaki, don't listen to him, I-I-I... Save my father, _please_!" Light was terrified. He did not want to die, though if it came down to it, he'd rather his father live, not knowing how to deal with the guilt.

L said nothing in reply, deep in thought.

"Light..." Soichiro started, but was interrupted yet again.

"So, L-Chan... Who do you choose?" Beyond giggled like the madman he was.

"I choose..."Ryuzaki paused. Light was Kira. 100 percent. He had no doubts. If he asked for Light to be killed in Soichiro's place, essentially all his problems would be solved. He could say that Beyond was unpredictable, that he had been forced to choose, and he had chosen Soichiro over Light. And then the original Kira would be down, and all that was left was to catch the decoy Kiras. L could handle that, he was sure of it. They were no match for him, without the true Kira to guide them. There was a ninety percent chance that Soichiro would be furious with him, but he could live with that. He could just up and disappear, like he always did. But on the downside... He would miss Light, ironically. He would miss the good side of Light, the one he had come to know as his friend. Ryuzaki had never known an opponent that could match his own skills, and perhaps, surpass it. Oh, L enjoyed making Light smile, almost as much as he enjoyed making Light angry. It gave him hope, gave him something to hold on to, that maybe, in the end, he had been wrong and Light had not been Kira; Light had been Light. If Light died and he survived, he would probably send himself to the most remote location on Earth- preferably somewhere cold- and stay there, solving cases, for the rest of his lifespan. He would surely deserve it, for letting his only friend die. But... he didn't want to save Kira, he wanted to save his friend.

It was a gamble, he knew. In short, choosing Soichiro over Light would be safer, much safer.

But... There was something off about this. Why was Beyond letting him choose? If he chose Light instead of Soichiro, would Light be killed instead? L couldn't trust Beyond Birthday.

Commence internal turmoil.

"I... Choose..."

"Well? Hurry up, get on with it!" B snapped, shifting from happy to impatient in an instance.

Soichiro and Light said nothing, opting to communicating silently instead, pleading with L using their eyes.

"I..." L murmured. God, why did this have to be so difficult!

"You're slower than a tree," B snorted in disgust.

L swallowed, ducking his head so that his bangs covered his eyes, making sure to avoid maintaining eye contact with anyone. "Soichiro... Kill Soichiro."

"NO! NO, GOD NO! L, HOW COULD YOU-!" Light cut himself off, opting to howl incoherently.

L looked away, refusing to meet his face.

"DAMN IT! DAMN YOU! FUCK FUCK FUCK-" Light's voice faltered as a _crack_ echoed through the air, cutting him off.

He looked to L, demanding an explanation, though instead found Ryuzaki's eyes trained on his, the same question in his own eyes.

And then without thinking about it, because he knew- _he knew_-, Light looked to his father.

His eyes immediately fell to the Chief's chest, expecting some kind of wound to appear there, though there was nothing. Quickly, Light preformed a mental check; legs, arms, neck... However, when he approached the head, he paused.

Soichiro's mouth was agape, clearly looking surprised. Behind a thick pane of glass, his still seemed as if they had life withheld in them, somewhere. Soichiro still looked like Soichiro, save for the small hole that sat squarely in the middle of his forehead.

Light watched, speechless, as his father slowly slumped forward in his chair, defeated, and very much dead.

And then there was B, who stood there, with a gun in his hands, laughing, laughing, and laughing.

* * *

**A/N:**** So... How'd I do? Let me know. I'm gonna eat now. :D**


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